posted 11-19-2003 07:52 AM         

I do believe that some breeds have a tendency toward aggressive behavior, but also that mean dogs are "made" as you said. A breed that is typically aggressive needs to be handled and trained carefully by someone who knows what they are doing. Do some research on Chows and Rotts so you can know what to expect and how to handle it. Have a good trainer lined up for later down the road. Perhaps even enlist the help of a behaviorist early on.

Maybe taking them inside and away from mom might be the best thing, even though they are so small. You would need to be willing to feed them every few hours, though. Small puppies are a LOT of work. But hand feeding them may help them to bond to humans and not be so "aggressive". I think right now the aggressive-seeming behavior is due to fear, not true aggression.

If you do take them in, do research and get advice from people here who have hand-raised pups. Take it slow, and give the pups time to adjust. I bet they will thrive with close attention and the security of being with an able caregiver.

posted 11-19-2003 08:10 AM         

Hand feeding puppies is very hard work and demanding at 2-3 weeks old they still need to be kept warm and fed a puppy formula every couple of hours.

posted 11-19-2003 08:43 AM         

It could be that you did things with your Chow that you weren't aware of how the dog would interpret it. Or you didn't do other things that you never thought of.

With a breed that tends toward aggression, just "treating the dog nice" will not usually cut it. Things like letting it sleep on your bed, for example, may seem nice but you are telling the dog that it is the boss and so then it challenges you. This is just one example of something people don't always realize.

I'm not saying you did anything wrong. I'm just pointing out that sometimes we don't realize what we have done or not done when it comes to a problem with a dog. That's where behaviorists and trainers come into the picture.

Jamiya